Review: Issey Miyake Spring 2023 Collection
image Courtesy Throughout: Issey Miyake Inc
"It’s kind of monumental that he passed," said a woman standing behind me as we waited to get into the Issey Miyake SS23 show. Unfortunately, the world lost the famed Japanese designer to lung cancer on August 5th, and although he retired from designing his namesake brand in 1999, this was the first collection to grace the runway since Miyake's untimely death. The petite woman in question --who ended up perched in the front row-- wore black from head to toe and accessorized in black sunglasses and a veil-like headpiece that didn't cover the face but nailed a widow portrayal. Pair that with the dark, moody room that served as the backdrop for this season's runway presentation and the continued support we've received from the brand, and I found myself holding back tears.
A moment of silents started the proceedings as a picture of the late Issey Miyake appeared on screens around the show venue. Then, Satoshi Kondo and the Issey Miyake design team opened the show, entitled "A Form That Breathes," with black and white sculptural garments. Those pieces would usually be stiff wif presented by another brand, but with the Issey Miyake brand, they moved gracefully against the body. Pleated sleeved blazers with slit arm openings and capped sleeved pleated mini and maxi dressed in candy colors followed. That signature pleating that made Miyake a fashion icon also found itself on more sophisticated knitted separates, and dresses with cone-like sculptings that protruded off the side of the dresses closed out the show.
As dancers and applauds from the crow wrapped up the show, the woman sitting next to me said, "I'm crying. Tears are literally coming out of my eyes." I tried to hide it, but honestly, I cried too! It was an honor to pay our respects to Issey Miyake.
